An endangered plant known as the “dead man’s flower” for its putrid stench is about to bloom in Australia – and it’s taken the internet by storm, with thousands already tuning into the livestream ahead of its big debut.
The titan arum plant, located in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, blooms only once every few years and lasts only 24 hours.
Affectionately named Putricia, it will give off an odor described as “wet socks, hot cat food or rotting opossum meat”.
The long wait and the uncertainty of when Putricia will bloom – spawned jokes and even a unique lingo in the livestream chat, with thousands of “WWTF” or “We Watch the Flower” comments.
A moment’s view is not too much: Putricia stands quietly and upright in front of a brown curtain, comfortably situated behind a red velvet rope. Occasionally, a visitor jumps into the frame while taking a selfie with the plant.
But once it blooms, viewers can expect to see Putricia unfurling a vibrant maroon or crimson skirt, known as a spathe, around its spike, which is a large spike in the center of the plant.
The gardens said it was “difficult to predict exactly when” Putricia would bloom, but that didn’t stop thousands flocking online.
“I’m back again to see how Putricia is doing and I see she’s still spending time like the queen she is, fair game,” one commenter wrote. “This is the slowest burlesque ever,” said another.
Another person wrote: “Overnight I stayed awake, fell asleep, woke up, watched, fell asleep. I’m weak but Putricia is strong. WWTF.”
Other popular acronyms among viewers are WDNRP (We Do Not Rush Putricia) and BBTB (Blessed Be The Bloom).
The plant can only be found in the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, where it is known as bunga bangkai – or “corpse flower” in Indonesian. Its scientific name is Amorphophallus titanum, derived from the Latin words for “giant”, “deformed” and “penis”.
It has the largest flower structure in the world, as it can grow up to 3 m (10 ft) in height and weigh up to 150 kg. The plant contains several hundred flowers at the base of the spathe.
It is endangered in the wild due to deforestation and soil degradation.
Putricia is one of several wild arums at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, which last flowered 15 years ago.
But there have been other corpse flowers in Australia in recent years, including in Melbourne and the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, each time attracting thousands of curious visitors eager for breath.
A few are also located in Kew Gardens, London, where one bloomed last June. Titan arum first flowered outside Sumatra in 1889 at Kew.
